Friday, June 11, 2010

Yes The first batch of painted Drakes are done!This adorable Duo has been commissioned for a client in Spain. A green 'Feather Drake', and a violet 'Serpent Drake'.

The Story:

One of my home's Brownies was eaves dropping on my work in the studio. She knew of a certain aged Gnome, who was in need of assistance with his menagerie of creatures he kept at his rescue. He is many ages old, and his heirs have all moved on to run various farms, and businesses of their own.

Getting weary, and feeling helpless, he has been struggling to care for all of his abandoned, lost, and injured Elven Drakes, Fyreflytts and, the occasional Eggletts, and Baby Dragons, that have come into his care. He loves all of Mother Earth's creatures, and will continue to go out of his way to take in each, and every one, no matter what the cost.

My Brownie has worked out a plan to help O'l Hamish and his wonderful rescue. I was to visit the oak grove in our local reservoir to meet Mr. Hamish along with my Brownie Arrwha. We sat atop the Granite outcrop, and discussed our plans.Hamish would like my studio to take in, and keep all his healthy, recovered creatures to help them all find loving homes. It would take a great burden off of his arthritic shoulders, knowing that I am more than capable of finding homes for his lonely creatures. It has become my duty to take on his estate, and assist him in all of his projects. I am Honored by his trust, and have been given the crystal key, to his magical world. I have pledged to never let him down.

So,...It is my humble responsibility to present to you:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Pocket Drakes'

Here is a special little creature that is generally between 3, and 4 inches tall, and is a really gleeful, and social Elven Dragon species. They are earth-bound, but love to explore. They are a favorite companion to the Gnomes, and Fae. They are to them, what our cats, dogs, and horses are to us humans. They are very much loved, and are common. Sometimes that get lost, abandoned, or mistreated by their trusted friends. Sadly, they also can outlive their friends. No one has ever asked how old a Drake can live,....and they most likely will never tell. They can be found in all climates, and terrains, and will be happy to explore any nook and cranny they discover. They are certainly a curious lot. This is what usually gets them into trouble in the first place! It can be common to find them with broken horns, tears in their fins, patches of fur, or feathers missing. Sometimes a blind eye, or even a missing tail-tip. Their curiosity is boundless. Hamish tells me they are the most exhausting of the rescues, But by far, the most rewarding!

Yes The first batch of painted Drakes are done! The first two are for a client, and the third, Is a birthday gift! Isn't he cute!

If anyone wishes to reserve one, Please contact me! They are $25 each and I take a $10 deposit before I paint. The balance is due upon completion.

Remember Coffee?

Well, He is still stagnated in this current state. I Just cannot figure out how I want to go with this. Maybe after I finish my 'eggletts' trio I will get back to him.

Right now....He is very shiny!

I hope to also do some more work on my Giant dragon soon too. But, first I really must post more inventory in my e-shops.That is all for now!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Base layer of Activa Celluclay Fast Mache. This will be the substrate that I will sculpt upon with Air Dry clay.

I like the Fast Mache, because it only takes 48 hours to dry completely. Unlike the original Celluclay, which can take over a week! :XD:

I have to suspend my work on it for a while, so I can concentrate on some custom orders. I hope I can get back to it soon.

Meanwhile, I have begun to paint the 'Pocket Drakes'!

I have a reserve on two of them: the "feather" drake, and the "serpent" drake. I hope to paint up some of the others to put up for sale, at the same time....So, keep a watch on my twitter page for news about them!

Friday, April 9, 2010

I have finally had some time to do a little bit of work for myself! This past month has been a busy one indeed!

I have been talking about my plans for sculpting a 3 foot tall dragon on all my sites I frequent. I also promised to share my progress as I work. So, Today I am making good on my promises!The very first thing I did was find some sort of lightweight substrate to build upon.

Normally, sculptors use a wire armature for the base of any work, but this is such a large piece, that I opted to use the strongest, and most lightweight option instead. I chose some old roof insulation sheets made of styrofoam, and stacked them together to make a block. I used at first, the spray adhesive you can get at your local craft store...No good. It wouldn't adhere enough. :(I then tried using hot glue...That worked quite well! Since the insulation is fire resistant, I had no melting of the styrofoam. I then cut out a general shape from the block of my soon to be Dragon. (I wish I had the Photos of that step) But, I do for the next step!

This next step was innovation at its best! :D

I needed something that was lightweight, and could adhere to the styrofoam block. I tried some of the expanding spray foam insulation that cured into yet another sturdy poly-foam, and the stuff when cured, is super easy to carve! I had loads of fun making a royal mess of my already crowded studio, sawing off chunks, and cutting out bits and pieces!

I did this to further the lightness of the behemoth form.

The Stuff is fairly cheep, and I got my supply from Ocean State Job Lot; a discount store

Today, I will be taking the next step: Applying the base layer of fast-dry celluclay to further refine my Dragon!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

As Usual I have been very busy trying to juggle orders, and planning my own sculpts. Just as i think I am free to start working on them again, a flood of orders pop up. My Etsy stock has pretty much sold out, so...instead of working on the foundation of my newest creation, I need to cast a bucket load of eyes to replenish what has been depleted.

I have some new EQ style irises designed as a result of a custom order from a client. They cast well.

I also had to update my favorite Dragon Series, because I had some new colors to add to this ever expanding collection. This came to fruition because I wanted to create a special design for my (whenever I can get a chance) new sculpt. It is going to be a Phoenix x Dragon and It will be sizable. Now that I have a reliable air dry clay to work with, I can indulge in resuming larger scale sculptures!

I still need to patch my Pocket Drakes, before paint too. I will save a cast for re-cast after fully patched and finished. I was unhappy with the first batch of castings. "I know there are people waiting on them so I may have to focus on them first before continuing with my Phoenix Drake *frowns*

One more thing...

I have a straggler to add to my 'Nature Series' This is the color 'Raisin' now included in the line! Its very pretty! I was thinking of a rich plum type color to compliment what exists in the series, and played around in Photostudio to create this. I quite like it! I'll just bet it will POP when cast! Casting always brightens up any design as the magnifying effects everything. I will do a test run this afternoon when casting my inventory. Even the Semi-metallic treatment would be lovely!

Oh, Yeah...One lats bit: I now will offer Paperweight profile to my eyes. I was reluctant, because they are difficult to cast neatly, but there are lots of BJD artists who request them. Besides...I need to practice! They will be priced differently, and will be available upon customer request.

The popular sizes are as follows:

8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 18mm, 20mm, and 22mm.

I have in-between sizes too, for those harder to fit sockets. They can go up to as large as 3 inches, but the minimum diameter size I can cast successfully is 8mm. if clients want smaller diameters, it is best to stick with the standard profile. They go as small as 3mm's in diameter.

Friday, January 1, 2010

This year will be filled with new package designs as well as new options, and images of each item I will be posing! Direct Buy Irises, and Doll Eye items will be displayed in a retail format, while customs, and special orders in bulk, will be un-changed.

As for my website, Please bear with me on it because, I am slowly changing over its look as well. I have loads to do this new year, and want to improve my markets adequately. I have to balance this with all your orders and requests. It is ALWAYS a work in progress, so it is worthwhile to check in there from time to time to see if anything new is uploaded.

If you need a size, style, or color, that is not currently listed, it does not mean It is unavailable!

You may contact me directly if you need an order request, custom, or cannot wait until the first couple of weeks in January for the new Direct-Buy listings.

I still have to refine all my 'Pocket Drakes' and cast more of them when I am able. I also have to finish all my original, and One-of-a-Kind Dragon 'Eggletts" so I can post those poor little guys! There eggs have been a nightmare to finish, and the babies themselves need to get painted! I still haven't forgotten about my larger original Dragon sculpt 'Dragon named "Coffee"' either. He has been waiting for months now, to be detailed! I have some leftover Ornaments that I hand-painted that I would like to sell on etsy as soon as I can get some decent photos of them. What I really needed for Christmas was a better camera. My current one really is terrible, and I struggle with trying to get half-decent shots.

I guess, that is it for today, January 1st..."I'm off to the studio now, to get started!"

About Me

I am artist with many skills; Mural Painting, Pyrography, Watercolor, Oils, Acrylic, Pen and Ink, Graphite, Colored pencil, Etching, General Crafts, Glass Painting, Floral Arranging, and Sculpture.
I am best at animal realism, landscapes, seascapes, and interpretations of sky, and clouds. I also enjoy Fantasy Art, People really love my Dragons.
My skills are mainly self-taught, I have many awards going back all the way through to Junior high. I believe I have wonderful creations to offer.
I newly have developed skills in designing, and creating artificial eyes for doll makers, crafters, as well as for costume, and special effects.